Golden Child
by violetsummers
Summary: Sakura had long since gotten over her childish infatuation with Uchiha Sasuke. But when their paths cross unexpectedly, their relationship is brought together by one sweet yet powerful golden child. Saku/Sasu
1. I So Hate Consequences

**A/N: **Hey guys, this is my first Naruto fanfic so forgive me if it isn't… that great :P Also I'm not really up to date with the manga so if you find anything that doesn't really match up just, well, ignore it if possible :P Enjoy & Review (:

**Disclaimer: **… I need a disclaimer? On a fanfiction site? Oh-kay then… *darts eyes*

**Golden Child**

_Sakura had long since gotten over her childish infatuation with Uchiha Sasuke and a once deep longing had turned into a kind of simple hatred for the infamous traitor of Konoha. But when their paths cross unexpectedly, their relationship is brought together by one sweet yet powerful golden child. Sakura H. / Sasuke U. _

**One**

'**I So Hate Consequences' Relient K **

Sakura flittered from tree branch to tree branch, muttering strings of profanities and several curses sending no one in particular to the very depths of hell and back. Twice. She had only just returned to Konoha after a particularly long and meticulously chakra-draining B grade mission and yet, almost the moment she returned, a desperate looking Tsunade had assigned her another one. As if being allocated a new assignment before she could even say hello to her friends wasn't enough, this mission was an A grade. And she was to complete it alone.

She wasn't even informed of any new revelations on the status of, well, anything that happened in the village while she was gone. Talk about becoming a hermit.

Unconsciously she placed a hand on the scroll tied to her belt. Sakura's objective was clear; there had been an abnormal burst of chakra, quite strong chakra, on the outskirts of Konoha and near a small community; population of about a hundred. She was to investigate the source of the strange incident and escort anyone she thought to be involved back to Konoha for questioning. Of course, if that particular someone could be a danger to Sakura or the village she was to report back to the Hokage as soon as possible and a squad would be sent out. Tsunade wasn't sure what caused this strange burst of chakra however and saw fit that only one able-bodied healer should check it out instead of wasting a team of ninja who could be used elsewhere.

"Sake-drinking, temper-drive, uncaring little…" Sakura muttered, letting go another string of profanities at her situation. The spurt of chakra could have been anything. Or nothing. Tsunade could have at least had a sliver of kindness and let Naruto or Hinata join her on this mission, especially since it was an A grade. And she hadn't seen them for almost a month. Besides, it was always good to have back up in case something did not go to plan.

A shiver went up Sakura's spine, a small premonition of things to come.

But the Leaf nin just brushed the feeling of foreboding off, realising that she was close to the area of the strange phenomenon. Just ahead she could feel several strong chakra, probably a team of Jounin, or high level Chounin. Masking her own chakra, Sakura stealthily made her way through the foliage before gasping at the sight before her.

Still hidden from sight, she let her eyes slowly take in the scene before her; orbs as emerald green as the leaves surrounding the rosette calculating and assessing. Shock and horror, for the moment, was pushed roughly to the side. A team of high ranking Sound ninja were in a rough circle around the edges of the strange clearing, devoid of any form of vegetation – every blade of grass seemed to have been ripped right out of the ground. Several more ninja lay unconscious – although Sakura could tell that they were most likely dead as their chests did not lift up and down in the slightest and their skin already had a deathly pallor. What really shocked the kunoichi though were the two beings in the centre of the ring of heavily armed, very strong Sound nin.

A dishevelled looking woman and her little child, who was clutching with trembling fingers to the remnants of her mother's ripped and blood stained shirt.

Sakura's bright, bottle green eyes narrowed considerably, fury building up in her chest like a volcano readying itself to erupt. And when this kunoichi let go of the shaky rein of control she had over her temper, her rage was not unlike that of a massive explosion of spewing, bubbling, red hot lava, suffocating ash and massive, killing boulders falling from the sky; a disaster on all in close proximity.

And, at that moment, that shaky rein of control was becoming more and more like a weakness to hold her back than a necessary precaution.

Sakura bit her lip to stop herself from crying out. She had sensed it before she saw it; the shuriken whizzing through the air. The shuriken flying towards the woman. The mother. The shuriken imbedding itself in the back of her neck; a shot cleaning slicing her spinal cord so that even if she did not die, never would she be able to move her limbs again. But as the woman collapsed onto the hard, lifeless earth with a bone chilling _snap_, Sakura knew it was her end.

The midnight-haired child, wide eyed and gaping, stared at her mother, not fully comprehending what was happening. Not fully comprehending that this event would change her life forever. She whimpered and tears collected in her terrified, dark orbs.

Sakura had had enough.

Before the Sound nin's advanced on the child, she threw numerous shuriken as hard as she possibly could in her drained state, which was still quite hard, towards the edge of the clearing. A distraction. Then, as quick as her chakra-infused legs could carry her, Sakura ran at the tiny girl, scooped her up and sped at a break-neck pace back into the forest. She forgot her mission, she forgot how tired she really was, she forgot to wonder why they were after this harmless girl and her mother; she forgot everything except the small, shaking bundle in her arms and the team of angry, powerful ninja racing after her.

Sakura's heart pounded in her chest and her legs started to cramp, but her mind was crystal clear.

Therefore, the kunoichi knew she was doomed.

But there was still a chance she could save the child. As long as she got near enough to another settlement – or even Konoha if she could manage it – so that the child to be able to get there by herself with just a point of a finger in the general direction. Then Sakura could sacrifice herself as a distraction.

_I mean, I'm going to get axed either way so I might as well save her_, she thought somewhat bitterly, letting herself take a moment to glance at the child in her arms. One thing was for sure; she was terrified and salty tears streaked down her cheeks. Doing the only thing she could think of, Sakura lightly ran her fingers through the girl's silky, midnight tresses and gently hushed her.

Soon enough, the tears stopped and the child hiccuped. "Mummy?" she whispered in possibly the sweetest voice Sakura had ever heard. Tears pricked the back of the kunoichi's eyes but she didn't let them fall.

She hadn't cried since… that day. And she wasn't about to start now.

"No sweetie, Mummy isn't here," Sakura said in what she hoped was a reassuring and soothing tone but on the inside she was bordering on hysteria.

The ninjas were coming closer.

There was silence for a moment, only the tell-tale sound of a few snapped twigs and rustled leaves from behind, confirming the squad was still there, and closing in fast. Then one word: "Dead." It wasn't a question. There was no sadness in the young girl's voice. In fact, there was no feeling at all. Just a dry and bitter realisation that the one person she loved most in the world was gone forever. Sakura slowed down a fraction in shock and looked down into two dark orbs. Her eyes completely and utterly contradicted the child's bleak tone. It was the eyes of someone's heart breaking.

Sakura would know.

But this youngster was only around four years of age. _Four_. No one should have to feel the sting of losing a loved one at so young an age.

The kunoichi realised that she couldn't possibly reach a settlement or village fast enough. Her legs ached and her chakra was quickly wasting away. So she had two choices now and neither comforted Sakura. One, she could put down the girl, hide her somewhere quick and then try and fight off all the Sound nins and somehow manage to defeat them all. Or two, she could put down the girl, hide her somewhere quick, point in the general direction of the closest settlement and run in the opposite direction, hoping she would be followed.

Number two had a somewhat better chance of succeeding and maybe, if she managed to shake off the squad somehow, Sakura could loop back around and quickly escort the child to safety. And if the ninjas caught up with her, well….

"Okay sweetheart," said Sakura, putting the child down but not daring to stare into her eyes; the kunoichi had experienced enough heartbreak for a lifetime. "See that fallen branch over there? You go lie flat on your belly under there alright? Don't move, even if creepy crawlies tickle you, and don't make a sound until you hear that I have left, and especially those other scary men. Understand?"

They were less than a hundred paces away, now. Not waiting for an answer, Sakura continued, "See how the sun is going down in that direction? You have to follow the sun and even if it disappears you keep going in that direction. When you come to a road or a path, follow it still in the direction of the sun, understand?"

Fifty paces away.

"Okay sweetie, go. Go now!" The child didn't move. Sakura resisted the urge to scream. "Don't you get it? Go! Hide! Before they come!" she hissed, taking a few breaths to try and calm herself. She didn't want the mother's death to be for nothing.

Twenty paces away.

Sakura grabbed the girl's shoulders and lifted her chin up, shaking her slightly. Looking into those two shadowy orbs, the rosette saw fear, shock, loss and knew that the child could hardly grasp the incident in the clearing, yet alone the vague instructions being hastily imparted to her. But there was no choice. "Child," Sakura knelt down and stared into those innocent, dark pools, "I know this is scary and I know you're afraid, but don't let your mother's passing be for nothing. Save yourself so you can remember her, and share your memories with others. The memory of her smell, her laugh, her smile." Sakura wasn't sure whether there was a father somewhere or whether he was dead as well, but she didn't ask in case it brought up any more distressing memories. "So, go now. Hide." The kunoichi placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

The child nodded slightly and heeded her words, tottering unsteadily to the huge, fallen tree trunk and lay down underneath it, her small body hidden by the shrubbery.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief just as the Sound nin's appeared, seemingly from the shadows and blocking every possible exit. She knew it was her end and she embraced it. It would not help the child in the slightest if she broke down now, when the girl lay no less than ten paces away. Sakura would miss her friends; Naruto, Hinata, Ino, Shikamaru, Tenten, Neji, Kakashi, Tsunade and everyone else in her precious, beautiful village. She hoped Tsunade wouldn't get too angry at her for not completing the mission. She hoped everyone wouldn't grieve for long, and get back to their daily lives. She hoped they would play a happy song at her funeral, instead of one of those sappy, depressing ones. She hoped the child made it the settlement safely and that, if he was still alive, she was reunited with her father. The pink haired woman faced the Sound nin with her head held high, and forced herself to not regret that she had never got to see _him _again. It would do no good to regret losing him.

A shuriken flew out from the foliage and sliced her thigh, forcing Sakura to fall to the floor, on her knees. She stopped herself from crying out and instead took steady, shallow breaths. How was she supposed to run now? She mentally urged the child to stay completely still. It was hard for youngsters to stay in the same place for a long period of time, after all. But this girl was different somehow. She would be fine. She had to be.

What seemed like the leader of the group jumped off a branch and landed gracefully in front of her. He gently lifted up Sakura's chin, and stroked her jaw line. "Kunoichi," he said in a low voice, his tone containing the hint of a warning. "Where is the girl?"

Sakura glared up at him, her emerald eyes burning viciously.

The Sound nin sighed, and the hand which was once caressing her cheek pulled back and slapped her with a sickening _crack_. He leaned in even closer. "Don't test me. Tell me where she is and your death will be quick and painless. Quite a waste though…" he added as an afterthought, eyeing her hungrily as he ran his fingers down her slender neck.

She couldn't hold back a shudder and the leader grinned wolfishly.

"Where is she?" he asked again, pronouncing each word slowly and with added menace. Sakura didn't reply. He took a fistful of her pink locks and jerked brutally, lifting her emerald orbs up to his muddy brown ones. He looked absolutely murderous and, again, he slapped her. Harder this time. Livid bruises appeared on her tearless cheek, and this lack of emotion seemed to infuriate him further. "Not answering are you, little whore?"

Ripping her shirt to mere shreds hanging off her body, he pummelled the once clear skin on her arms and torso; her stomach dealing most of the heavy blows. "I shall only ask you one more time, pathetic excuse for a kunoichi," he hissed, dropping her to the ground in a bloodied mess before kicking her harshly. "Where is the girl, you useless _bitch_."

Sakura gulped down a couple of shallow breaths of air, inhaling dirt and her own blood as well. Then with her last ounce of strength she lifted her head and spat on the Sound nin's polished boots. "Fuck you."

Her mind was a mess and every thought was like wading through a marsh. She knew nothing but the pain which stabbed at her like a million sharpened kunai. Dots blurred her vision as she saw the man readying for the killing blow. Then he turned, distracted by something. Sakura turned as well, and her skull pounded.

She saw the child. Coming out of her hiding spot. Walking towards them. Dark eyes flaming. The Sound nin's converging on her. Feeling dizzy. Sudden. Intense bright, golden light. A huge burst of chakra. Trying to cry out. The child next to her. "Dead," she whispered. The child turning. Sakura turning. A figure in the shadows.

With onyx eyes.

Him.

_Him? _

The child crying. Him staring at the mess before him. Him coming closer. Him saying her name. "Sakura." Her saying his name.

"Sasuke?"

Then, finally, darkness…


	2. I Don't Love You Anymore

**Author's Notes: **Okaay, so sorry about this really bad chapter XD and how it ended very… um, anti-climatic-ly. It was really just a filler. A really long filler. I didn't want it to be too long so I just left it there. And I wrote it quick (well, as quick as you can write like 3, 500 words XP) 'cause I had a spark of inspiration but not much time to write everything out and fix it up and such so forgive me if there's grammar/spelling/any other mistakes for example it not making sense... eeeh.

Oh also, the titles of the chapters are names from songs (did I say that before?) and I decided now that I'd just put some lyrics in there that kinda relate to the chapter. Although sometimes the whole song's meaning doesn't really match… Ah well. The titles'll make some sense. Well, in my mind. Heh. OH and before I forget, Himemiya means 'Princess' or 'Your Ladyship' in Japanese. Hopefully… I don't particularly trust translators… :P

Anyways yeah **enjoy** & review (:

- _Violet_

**Disclaimer: **_Yeah I own Naruto. Whaddya gonna do now? (Several minutes later) I do not own Naruto. I never have and I never will. The copyrights are __Masashi Kishimoto's. I am saying this from my own free will. I swear. Actually, no I'm not – they came to get me! Save yourse- mmffphhmph!  
__:P Oh yes I'm hilarious aren't I, with my witty disclaimers But seriously. I don't own Naruto. Just have to remind me right…(goes off to cry) _

**Two **

**'I Don't Love You Anymore' – My Chemical Romance**

_Well, when you go  
__  
Don't ever think I'll make you try to stay_

_And maybe when you get back _

_I'll be off to find another way  
_

_Well after all the blood that you still owe_

_Another dollar's just another blow_

_So fix your eyes and get up _

_Better get up while you can, whoa whoa _

Sakura woke to pain. Her torso ached as if a hundred tonnes had been dropped on top of her, and was left there. A headache hammered in her skull and she didn't trust herself to open her eyes. Slowly, automatically, the kunoichi counted her injuries and which ones would need healing first. Luckily, Sakura deduced from feeling alone that none were very serious; but considering her lack of chakra, she would need a day or two to fully recover. Two days wasn't a lot. Tsunade wouldn't get too angry if she was a bit late for her mission…

Her mission? The Sound-nins. A small bundle. Running. That golden light. Sasuke.

Sasuke?

Surely she must have been dreaming. Or dead. Yes, she must be dead. That bright light was the light of heaven and now she was dead. And you didn't feel pain in heaven right?

So, not really in a state to be thinking clearly, Sakura sat up from the _extremely _hard ground she was lying on and opened her eyes. Instantly she regretted it. Black dots flashed before her and the world spun.

"Ugh…" she groaned and fell back to the floor, hitting her head as she did so. "_Owww_." Sakura couldn't help laughing just a tad hysterically at her own stupidity. Except it hurt to laugh as well.

_Okay, so I'm definitely not dead,_ Sakura construed. _Not even the very depths of hell could have floors this uncomfortable. _

Somewhere to her left, she heard a little, tired giggle. A giggle? The fog in her mind cleared slightly as she realised, _the child! _

Sakura placed a shaking hand on her own forehead to check her temperature. "Sweetheart? Is that you?" Sakura murmured softly. She knew loud noises would only make the pounding in her head worse. Much worse.

There was a few seconds of utter silence, and the rosette began to doubt her sanity. She hadn't just imagined it, right? Then a smooth, somewhat impatient, masculine voice (that echoed slightly, she noted), said, "She cannot see you nod." That voice was familiar. It couldn't be him. No. _No_ way.

A tiny 'eep' sounded beside Sakura and she heard the child say, "Yes, I'm me." Sakura smiled, but it quickly withered away.

The kunoichi could feel her heart rate speed up exponentially, in addition to the throbbing in her skull, as she asked hesitantly, "Who's… who's there with you, little one?"

Again, there was a few seconds of utter silence. And again, the scarily familiar voice rang out around what Sakura had, by now, figured was a cavern or cave of some sort. "She cannot see you shrug, Princess." There was a smirk in that tone.

_Princess? _

The child let out a small breath of air and said, "Sparky's here."

_Sparky? _

Sakura breathing and pulse calmed down relatively. It couldn't be Sasuke. He would _never_ let someone call him a pet name, or give anyone a pet name; the only exception being Naruto, and even then only an insulting one. And that's _Naruto. _Although the name 'Sparky' does describe Sasuke using his chidori quite effectively… At least from a child's point of view. Sakura ignored that fact though, and slowly, carefully, began to open her heavy eyelids. She needed to assess this 'Sparky' to see if he was dangerous to them. If not he could assist her in finding the child a suitable home or maybe her father. If he was, well, he would be unconscious before he could try anything.

The first thing Sakura saw through her blurry eyes, was a dark roof covered in stalactites and sticky strands of mucilage; the adhesive substance excreted from glow worms to use as a tool for them to catch their evening meals. Her previous evaluation was correct; she was in a cave. That explained the slight echo. Next, as the haze began to clear, the kunoichi propped herself up on her elbows, wincing as her many bruises pressed against the hard floor. A small fire lit up the majority of the area and calming warmth radiated off it. The flames didn't reveal the strange shadowy figure which hung around the back of the cave. Sakura squinted, trying to make him out.

But the child had other ideas and leant over her with a huge grin on her face.

"Pinky's awake!" she exclaimed and Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the nickname. _How original._ Suddenly, the girl's little arms were wrapped around her, and Sakura was caught up in a tight embrace. And although the girl was only small, the kunoichi couldn't help but gasp in pain.

"Princess." The word had a sharp edge of warning to it.

Sheepishly, the girl let go and instead opted to patting Sakura gently on the head. Which felt like a mallet being smashed repeatedly into her skull, but the kunoichi managed to control herself this time and merely grimaced.

The shadowed man stood and began striding towards the two females. "Enough!" he said with the strong voice of authority.

As the figure came into the light of the fire, Sakura gasped. And as she jerked from shock, her elbows slipped from underneath her, and she hit her head on the rough ground again. Groaning, and ignoring the badly concealed giggles coming from one extremely amused little girl, the kunoichi pushed herself upwards again and rubbed her throbbing head.

Sasuke stood a few paces away from Sakura, a haughty smirk plastered on his stupidly handsome face.

" are _you_ doing here?" the rosette growled, feeling as though she was about to explode from anger and from pain. What _was _he doing there? Didn't he leave her, all those years ago, to find and murder he brother, Itachi? Unless he had already completed his goal – but, surely, she would have heard something back in Konoha. "What about your _revenge_?" she spat.

He just raised one refined eyebrow and smirked which basically meant 'do you really expect me to answer that?'

Sakura muttered curses under her breath, but quietly so the child wouldn't hear.

"Heal yourself. Then tend to the Princess," Sasuke said in a tone that clearly made the order non-negotiable. He turned to walk out of the cave.

Years of pent up fury began to boil to the surface and Sakura's migraine increased tenfold. "Oh, _heal myself_," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Okay. Yeah sure, that'll be easy especially since I don't have a _drop _of chakra left. Do you actually think that I would have sat here so long and not healed myself if I could?" The kunoichi was physically shaking, and the child with hair as dark as coal subtly moved herself away from the raging woman. Her former team mate had stopped in his tracks, but still faced the opening of the cave, his rigid back and the Uchiha clan symbol facing Sakura. "Do you think you would be able to _move _if I had one drop of chakra left? _Huh_? Face me Uchiha, you pathetic, selfish, weak, traitorous **bastard**!" On the last word, she quickly covered the girl's ears.

A moment later, however, she had no control over her arms. No control over any part of her body, in fact, as Sasuke had whipped around, grabbed Sakura and smashed her against the painfully hard wall in the blink of an eye.

The Uchiha's murderous face was inches away from hers, and she was now shaking for a completely different reason. His sharingan's flared. "You know nothing," he hissed in a deadly tone. "_Nothing_."

Once again, Sakura's emotions overrode her common sense. "Really Sasuke? I'm sure I know quite enough considering the fact you _left us for Orochimaru_. And when you tried to _kill us_ before and it was _Orochimaru _who stopped you!" She stabbed a finger at his chest, wishing she was able to infuse it with chakra so it could leave several large bruises and perhaps fracture a couple of his ribs. "Don't you dare think that I know nothing Sasuke because I know you more about you than you know about yourself."

The Uchiha pulled back his arm and Sakura flinched away, thinking he was about to hit her. Instead he just smashed a good sized hole into the cave wall inches from her _intensely _pounding head. The kunoichi didn't realise she had been holding her breath until she let it out, all in one short burst. The two glared furiously at each other for several seconds, until there was a little, frighted squeak beneath them. Both broke away from each others intense gaze and looked downwards.

The girl had one of her delicate hands on Sasuke's tense, muscular thigh, and her other on Sakura's and was trying her utmost to push the two apart. "Stop, stop, stop! Sparky go away!" she cried in what seemed like her authority voice. "Your scaring Pinky! _Leave._"

Sakura wasn't surprised when the Uchiha didn't move an inch, and his usual indifferent expression slid into place. What did strike her as odd, though, was when Sasuke leaned closer to the little figure and growled softy, "Make. Me."

_What? _Sakura's green orbs widened. _What could this mere child do against Sasuke, who even Naruto had trouble beating? Actually, why were those Sound-nins after the child? What happened to them? What was going on! _

"What-" Sakura began before breaking off in shock.

The girl began to glow. _Glow._ Dazzling, golden light radiated off her small form in dancing tendrils and, for a moment, the kunoichi saw the connection between the nickname Princess and the child. She did look exactly as Sakura pictured royalty; strong, fierce, beautiful. The rosette, suddenly, felt abnormally strong chakra building up in the child's little fingers and her glare directed at Sasuke seemed much more dangerous now. Then, with a little flick of her index finger, the great S-Class criminal went flying, literally, across the cave and out the opening, into darkness.

Sakura gaped. Not even herself, with her super strength taught to her by the _Hokage_ could ever hope to achieve that level of power.

Smiling brightly now, Princess turned and faced the speechless Leaf-nin.

"Oh Kami help me," Sakura whispered. Her mission. The burst of chakra. It was _her_. If she returned to Konoha with her, the girl would never be able to live outside the lab until everything there was to know about her was figured out. And even then, she could never live a normal life. It wasn't that the scientists were sadistic – it's just sometimes their thirst for knowledge could get out of control. And this, this _prodigy_… would be like a never ending cup of life-giving liquid.

How could she be so in control of her chakra – and with such immense reserves – when she was only four years of age?

Oblivious to all of this, the girl said happily, "S'okay. I only do it to Sparky 'cause he told me to. He told me to practise and stuff..." She patted Sakura on the leg, seemingly softly, but because she forgot about her sudden super strength the kunoichi was pushed through several layers of the wall of the cave.

The pain was too much and Sakura couldn't stop herself from crying out.

The kunoichi slid to the floor, the shock, pain, her mission, Sasuke, everything just being too much. She held her head in her hands, closed her eyes and shook uncontrollably. Her breathing came in quick, shaky gasps, not being able to take in enough oxygen. She would pass out soon. Hopefully.

Somewhere in the distance she heard the child apologising profusely and heavy footsteps echoing around the cave, coming closer and closer. Sakura hoped Sasuke wouldn't call her weak. All these years she had tried so hard but still, Naruto, Sasuke, everyone seemed to be a whole staircase ahead of her. Always.

No. She wouldn't cry.

A strong, warm hand was placed on Sakura's shoulder and she felt much-needed chakra flow into her system, enough to fill at least two thirds of her reserves. Taking a few unsteady breaths, the medic began to heal herself, starting with that terrible migraine.

Soon enough, all of her major injuries and wounds were healed, but she left the others to be not wanting to waste all of her reserves in one go. Sakura looked up and saw Sasuke staring at her. He nodded once, and gave her a look which clearly meant _don't you dare leave, or you'll regret it_, before walking out of the cave entrance.

Sakura sniffed. _Anti-social bastard. _

The kunoichi turned and faced the child whose dark eyes were round and apologetic. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" she cried, obviously beating herself up. "Sometimes I dunno how to control it! I swear!"

Sakura smiled softly and moved over to hug the frightened girl. "It's okay, really. I'm fine. I'm a medic-nin – so I heal people. Including myself."

The girl blinked before her eyes lit up, as though she just realised something. "Oooh. So that's why Sparky let you stay and not those other…" her voice lowered a notch, "_weirdos_. I mean, not that I'm saying Sparky only kept you 'cause you make people better and stuff. He likes you as well." Sakura scoffed. "But, anyways. Yeah. Well one of them was nice, I suppose – one of the weirdos I mean – but he was really big and so he must be scary and I dunno he was kinda crazy too but in a nice way, you know?"

The kunoichi raised an eyebrow at the mention of these 'others'.

"But then the red headed one was mean to me and Sparky didn't seem to like her that much. I dunno why she don't like me. Maybe it was 'cause I pushed her across the room too… 'cept I meant it that time." A sheepish grin quirked the corners of her cherry red lips. "And then the other guy was scary. Like, more scarier than Sparky. 'Cept not as scary as Sparky when Sparky's angry and he makes sparks and stuff… Yeah. He and the red one yelled a lot. It hurted my ears. So I pushed the girl so the noise'd stop cause she seemed less scary." The girl shrugged. "Then she called me a Prissy Princess – whatever that means. What's prissy? Well I dunno. But then Sparky kinda smiled and he started calling me that too, but nicer than the red one. And without the 'prissy'. Whatever that is."

As the chattering continued, the rosette figured that her healing abilities weren't the reason the Uchiha had 'let' her stay. Sasuke never handled overly-talkative females very well. Not to mention an over-talkative, extremely powerful, female child. And how much about taking care of children would he know? It seemed that this 'red head' the girl was talking about wasn't that great with children either.

Great. So, basically, she was a nanny.

Which didn't particularly rile Sakura, but she had had a slim hope that, maybe, he had finally saw that she had talent and wasn't weak. Well, there's that stupid idea out the window.

"Hmm… Oh, what is your name, child?" Sakura asked, berating herself for not asking sooner.

The girl stared at her for a second, seeming to deliberate something. "Princess," she said, smiling cheekily.

The kunoichi resisted the urge to sigh and roll her eyes. "The name you were born with. Surely, it wasn't Princess."

"No."

"And what was that name?"

The girl grinned again. "Himemiya."

Sakura glared, albeit softly and with a hint of amusement. This midnight-haired child was a mischievous one. No wonder Sasuke thought needed some help (not that he would admit it out loud of course). He wasn't one to put up with practical jokes. Or jokes. Or humour. Or fun, full stop.

Sakura smiled a small, sweet smile. _Naruto… _

She shook her head from her reminiscing thoughts. "Don't lie to me child…" It was the kunoichi's turn to flash a mischievous grin. "I have various _agonising _torturing methods to get information out of even the most tight-lipped ninjas." Her emerald eyes twinkled and, in a flash, she was tickling the impish youngster who shrieked in delight and tried to push Sakura off with her flailing arms.

"No–," she squealed, breathless from laughter "Stop! – Okay! Okaay, I'll tell you!"

With a smug look on her face, Sakura stopped the 'torture' and sat back, satisfied. The girl, after she was breathing normally again, sat up and crossed her arms in a gesture of defiance. She looked quite grumpy, with her brow creased in a frown.

She pouted, before saying grudgingly, "Mama told me not to tell strangers my name but… I trust you." The child smiled again, a little smile. Youngsters got over things so quickly. "Mama… Mama calls– called me Maika."

Sakura laughed for moment at the coincidence. 'Maika' roughly meant 'fire' and 'dance' and adequately described the glow emanating from the child when she tapped into her newfound, and vast, chakra reserves. It was if her mother knew…

But no. That was impossible. If Maika had used her chakra before, Konoha would have noticed it before – as well as other ninja, criminal or no – and once someone figured out who was the source, all would be after the girl.

In fact, Sakura was surprised by the fact that no one else was after her already. Such power… and Maika had only just found it.

What was Sasuke planning to do with her?

Snapping the kunoichi out of her wandering thoughts, the said girl chatted absentmindedly, "I like Princess better though. Call me that, please. Daddy used to call me his little Princess…"

Sakura smiled sadly. She noticed the past tense but wasn't sure whether it was because he passed away, or Miaka knew she wouldn't see him for a while, if ever. Instead of asking and possibly of distressing the exhausted girl, her inner medic popped up and began asking standard questions so she knew the girl wasn't suffering any trauma – either from the shock of losing a parent, from her newly found chakra reserves or from, well, Sasuke. Sakura didn't know exactly how long she was unconscious for, but she knew the Uchiha could be … tough to deal with. At the best of times.

By the time she was finished, and deduced that Maika – or Princess, whichever – was reacting normally and everything was in order, the sun was rising and Sasuke still hadn't returned. The child didn't want to go to sleep until he returned; a reason which stumped Sakura. The little one kept yawning and her eyes were bloodshot. Part of her, for the first time in years, hoped the Uchiha would return soon.

Not to mention the fact that both of them were starving. Sakura hoped her former team mate would come back with a nice, hot meal, however unlikely that was. Some strawberries would be greatly accepted as well. She hadn't had strawberries for so long…

The child yawned again and rested her head against the kunoichi. Maternal instincts coming into play, Sakura ran her fingers through those raven-black locks again. Her thoughts wandered…

Even though her chances were slim – if what Maika said about Sasuke 'keeping' her –, Sakura wanted to go back to Konoha with the child, hoping to ride her off as an orphan she picked up on the way and only revealing the truth to a few select people (the Hokage, Kakashi, Naruto, Ino and Hinata among them). Seeing as the child would be coming as well, Sakura calculated it would take at least a couple of weeks to make it back to the hidden Leaf village if you counted resting, sleeping, eating, hunting for food and other unknown factors or distractions.

If worst came to worst and – she shuddered at the thought of having to ask the _traitor's _permission to do anything – Sasuke did not 'allow' her to leave, she would have to somehow slip past him, perhaps when he left them for _seven hours_ again, and run as fast as she could with the child on her back until they were relatively safe and could rest.

Either way, unless she could somehow change her stubborn, former team mates mind, she would leave him. When he left her on that cold, stone bench years ago, he made his choice between his friends – his _family _– and vengeance. And, after a while, she accepted that. Mostly.

He wasn't her Sasuke-_kun_. She didn't love him anymore.

In fact, she hated him. Hated him with a passion. How could he do that to her and Naruto and Kakashi and the village?

Only a man with no heart, or a heart forever stained by hatred and a sadistic lust for revenge, and Sakura could not let herself love someone who could not love her back; who could not love at all. Once, long ago, she would have tried to fix him, help him, believed he was just a lonely, frightened boy underneath who needed someone to understand him and be with him. But not anymore, even if that were true – which was almost laughable considering how unrealistic it was.

Sasuke had made his decision. Sakura made hers.

"I don't love you anymore," she whispered into the shimmering fire, almost as if to convince herself. If the child heard, she didn't say a thing.


End file.
